Control device for multiple linearly movable members



Feb. 8, 1949. F, 1 (.gRQsl-:kl 2,461,378 I CONTROL DEVCE FOR MULTIPLE LINEARLY MOVABLE MEMBERS Filed June 50, 1947 Q5 N l N lllllll" M m C' MQW f f "ff Patented Feb. 8, 19x49 i CONTROL DEVICE FOR'MULTPLE LINEARLY MOVABLE IWEMBERS Frederick Joseph Grose, Cricklewood, London,Y

England, assigner/to S. Smith & Sons (Eng- Y -Y land) Limited,lLondcn, England, a British com- Y pany .f

ATENT, A OFFICE i Application June 30, 1947, Serial No.7758,023 Y Y In Great Britain July 16, 1946 Y 2 Y Y "i 1 Claim.

This invention relates to control devices for multiple linearly movable members such, for example, as Bowden cables, and has for an object the roperation of a number of-such members by means of a lesser number of operating members.

According to this invention, a control device for two linearly movable members comprises a threaded rotatable member having its thread g so connected withv one of the movable members that it is moved linearly by the rotation of the threaded member, an operating member engaging said rotatable member so as to impart rotation thereto while permitting axial movement of the operating member relatively thereto, and means for connecting said operating member to the second movable member. With this arrangement, a single operating member is employed for independently controlling the linear movement of the two movable members.

In the case where a third rectilinearly movable member requires to be operated, a second rotatable threaded member connected to a second operating member may have its thread so connected with the third movable member that linear second cable-effects operation of the fresh air valve, and the third cable effects operation of the distributor.

The control Vmechanism comprises a, cylindrical case I3 provided with a flange I4 and with a threaded portion I 5 which is passed through a hole in the dashboard of the vehicle, and engaged by a clamping nut I6. The casing is provided with two axially-extending grooves Il and I8 on the inner surface in which slide two linearly moving members I9 and 2t secured to the lirst and third cables respectively. Rotatably arranged within the casing are two cylindrical members 2 l, 22. The member 2l is provided with a helical thread of large pitch engaging a projection 24 movement is imparted to that member by rotation 25 on the member I9 connected to the rst cable l0 of the second rotatable member, which second so that rotation of that member eiects linear rotatable member encircles and is rotatable on movement of the rst cable; similarly, the other the first operating member. .cylindrical member 22 is provided with a helical f In applying the invention to moving three thread 25 which engages .a projection 26 on the Bowden cables, the ends of two of said cables may 39 member 2D which is connected to the third cable be connected to blocks slidable in straight grooves l2 so that rotation of that member eifects linear formed in the internal surface of a casing encirmovement of the third cable l2. The rst said cling the rotatable members which are externally cylindrical member 2l has a bore 21 of square threaded, which blocks are provided with procross-section, while the other cylindrical member jections which engage respectively the threads 22 hasabore of circular cross-section 28. Ashaft of the aforesaid rotatable members, while the end 29 extends through this bore and the. part 3e enof the third cable is connected to the first said gaging the square section bore 2l is of square operating member through a joint permitting cross-section so that rotation of the shaft will relative rotation between those parts. eect rotation of the first said cylindrical mem- The fOllOWiIlg is a more detailed description of ber 2|. The part of the shaft which is of square one embodiment of the invention for operating cross-section does not extend for thevfull length three Bowden cables, reference being made to of the square section bore, so that this part can the accompanying drawings, in which: be moved axially along the bore. The second Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, cable Il is attached to the end of the square sec- Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig- 45 tion part of the shaft by means of a spherical ure 1, nipple 3| which engages a ball 32 secured to the Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figend oi the cable, permitting relative rotation beure 2, and tween the cable and the shaft. The other end of Figurefiis aviewlooking from the right of Figthe shaft has secured to it a control knob 33 ure 2. whereby the shaft may either be rotated or moved The three Bowden cables I0, Il and l2 shown axially. The cylindrical member 22 with the cir y in Figure 2 are intended for controlling appacular section bore is provided with an extension ratus for heating the interior of a motor vehicle. 34 to which another manipulating knob 35 is se- The heating apparatus (not shown) is of the cured by a set-screw 39 whereby said part may kind in which fresh air passes through a fresh be rotated. The manipulating member 35 may be returned in a desired position by a spring pressed detent 60 housed in it and which is engageable'with one of a number of depressions 4| in the flange I4. The two manipulating knobs and the outer face of `theV ange are suitably inscribed as shown in Figure 4. For example, the end face of the rst manipulating member 33 may be marked Fresh air pull and a pointer 42 on that knob may traverse legends .on a plate 43 which overlies the knob 35 and is .secured by r set-screws 44 to la lug 45 fixed to the ange 1'4. These legends may comprise the words Cold Warmj Hot A pointer 3B von the knob 35 may traverse legends on the Harige-marked Ofi, Screen, Screen and Car, All Car. The tWo cylindrical members 2 l, 22 are separated by a Washer 31 loaded by means of a spring 8 to apply frictional damping to the rotational movement .of these members.

In operation, the rst cable Il) can be pushed or pulled by rotation of the rst said manipulate ing knob l33 yin fone direction yor `the other. The second lcable 1H vcan be pushed or pulled by `pi-ishing or pulling't-he lrst said knob 33 and the 'third cable l2 can be pushed or pulled by rotating the second said knob 35 in onedirection orthe other.

I claim: 1

A control device for moving three Bowden cables comprising a 'casi-ng having two straight grooves formed in the internal surface thereof,

two blocks attached respectively to two of the cables and slidable respectively in said grooves and each having an inwardly extending projection, two externally threaded members arranged end `to end land rotatable but xed against axial movement in said lcasing-andengaged respectively by said projections, each of which threaded members is provided with a bore, an operating mem- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Num-ber Name Date Re. 18,731 Weatherhead Feb. "7, '1933 25 1,101,692 Goodspeed June 30, 1914 1,221,925 fTrott Apr. 10, 1917 1,905,539 White V V 1 Apr. 25 1933 2,039,093 Lewis VApr, 28, 1936 2,241,464 Link June 3, 1941 

